1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hand-held pick, which is also called a plectrum, that is used for playing a stringed instrument. More specifically, the invention relates to an ergonomic pick that increases comfort and sureness of grip for the user.
2. Related Art
Hand-held picks are conventionally used for plucking the strings of musical instruments, such as guitars, banjos, and lutes. Picks are typically thin, somewhat flexible pieces of metal, plastic, bone, or other material that are sized approximately the size of the pad of the thumb. The pick is held between the thumb and index finger for plucking strings in succession. Modern picks usually have one or more protruding/pointed areas in their outside edges, creating a picking xe2x80x9ctip.xe2x80x9d The pick is usually positioned so that the picking tip protrudes generally beyond the tip of the index finger for easy and accurate contact with the individual strings. For example, a flat, thin, tear-shaped pick is popular, and the point of the xe2x80x9ctearxe2x80x9d is used as the picking tip.
Other shapes and designs have been developed for picks. For example, Lukehart (U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,615) discloses a tear-shaped pick with a V-shaped segment running from the middle of the pick out to one edge of the pick. The V-shaped segment results in the surface of the pick being raised in that area on one side of the pick and being depressed in that complementary area on the other side of the pick.
Hucek (U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,715) discloses a tear-shaped pick with a xe2x80x9cstepped ledgexe2x80x9d finger grip. The two steps of the Hucek device run from the center of the rounded edge of the pick forward diagonally across the pick in two directions, one step extending to the middle of each of the side edges.
Garrett (U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,228) discloses a pick with multiple playing surfaces. The Garrett pick is made of a triangular pick body and a rigid metal bar along the flat edge of the pick, opposite the picking tip. The metal bar serves as a grip for the thumb and the index finger and has two protruding ends that also may serve as picking tips.
Fogarty (U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,349) discloses an improved grip system for a pick, wherein the pick has a generally planar body with many small, raised cone-shaped bumps on both surfaces of the pick body for improving the user""s grip. Also, Fogarty includes two walls extending out perpendicularly from pick body near one edge of the picking tip.
Storey (U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,622) discloses a triangular pick with a central area containing a plurality of spaced apertures that create a thin central area on the pick, for increasing the flexure of the central area. By adjusting the thumb and index finger locations while gripping the Storey pick, the player may alter the amount of pick flexibility for a note.
Various picks have been developed that include a strap system for attachment to a thumb or another finger. See, for example, Freeman (U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,746), Schaller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,501), or Lukehart (U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,032).
Still, there is a need for an improved pick design that is ergonomic, economic, and attractive. There is a need for a pick that reduces the stress that is felt by fingers and sometimes felt up the hand, wrist, and arm, which is created by the tension of gripping the small pick and applying force to the strings repeatedly and accurately. There is a need for a more securely held pick that does not drop, slide or twist in one""s hand. The present invention addresses this need.
The present invention comprises a pick for a stringed musical instrument that has an ergonomic shape for increased comfort, less eventual muscle and tendon strain, and more secure positioning in the hand. The pick may include an improved grip system that also helps alleviate stress and discomfort, by making the user""s grip more sure and, therefore, not necessarily so tight and tense. The improved ergonomics and the improved grip system of the invented pick comprises a more natural pick shape for the thumb and index finger, so that the thumb and finger more naturally grasp it, and the pick has less tendency to slide out of the hand or to twist out of the desired position. With this more natural grasp, and the reduction in tension and pressure necessary to securely hold the pick in the desired position and orientation without dropping, slipping or turning, there is less discomfort in the short term, and less strain and injury over the long term, for many users.
The invented pick comprises a generally thin pick body with a picking tip at one end and preferably an enlarged opposite end. The invented pick comprises a concave surface near the picking tip on the index finger side and a concave surface near the enlarged end on the thumb side. The preferred embodiment of this concave surface system is a pick that is curved in an Sshape when viewed from the side. Thus, the preferably smoothly-curved pick generally has two curves, one at about one-third of the way back from the picking tip and one about two-thirds of the way back from the picking tip. This profile allows the index finger to rest comfortably on the central and front bottom surface of the pick body, curving over the rear pick curve and extending into the front concave area. The thumb rests comfortably on the top surface of the pick body nearer the enlarged (rear) end, in the rear concave area. The inventor believes this places the finger and thumb in a natural position for applying an effective amount of pressurexe2x80x94with the pick naturally curving between the finger and thumb. This curved shape also provides some resistance to the pick twisting in the finger-thumb grasp. Overall, the invented pick shape is more comfortably and securely grasped, because it conforms generally to the natural curves of the pad and first joint of the index finger and of the pad of the thumb.
Optionally, the invented pick may comprise apertures, protrusions (as long as the protrusions are not angular or with corners, but only smooth and gradually curved) or a pad located generally centrally on the pick body, for further improving and/or cushioning the users grip. Specifically, the inventor envisions a dual-density system, wherein the pick body and picking tip is a fairly rigid and resilient plastic, and a pad of softer cushioning material or a pad filled with gel is affixed to the pick body to cover part of one or both of the top and bottom pick surfaces.